Filing device.



A. T. ELWELL.

IIIIIIIIIII E.

APPLICATION IILED DBO. 29, 1910 1&265346. Patented May 14, 1912. 2 EEEEEEEEEEEE 1. I

Ill

A. T. BLWELL.

FILING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEU.29,1910.

Patented May 14, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Eifi E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT T. ELWELL, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

FILING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. ELWELL, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King, State of lVash-ington, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements in Filing Devices; and

I do hereby declare the following to bee full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to card index filing systems and has more particular reference toa system of this character especially adapted for use with roll top desks or cabinets adapted for filing purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide a form of card filing cabinet in which the index cards of each set will be plainly exposed to view when the file drawer is in the ferred embodiment of the invention.

In these drawin which are attached to and form a part 0 this application, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a conventional desk showing my improved filing system applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and 3 is a detail perspective view of a filing leaf.

Referring more particularly to the above described views, in which similar reference numerals desi ate corresponding parts throughout,'1 indicates in general a desk, which as shown is of the conventional rolltop type except that the usual pi eon holes and drawers at the back of the esk have been replaced by'myfiling cabinet, which ,will as a whole be designated by 2.

The cabinet comprises a. frame, which in the present instance is part of the desk itself and a-plurality of filing drawers slidable in uides or ways 3 supported in the frame. n the present instance only the two central-drawers are shown as being completely equipped with the filing apparatus,

but it will be understood that the same may be applied to any or all of these drawers. Referring to the sectional view inFig. 2 it will .be seen'that the construction of the two drawers is precisely the same and the description of one will therefore be understood -to apply to both.

The improved filing drawer consists of a rectangular tray here designated as 6 slidable within ways 3 as above described and provided on its front surface with conventional handles as at 7. The body of the drawer is divided into a plurality of compartments by the partitions 8 and the back corner is filled by a longitudinal trian ular strip 9, the inner surface of which- 18 as shown inclined at an angle to the bottom of the drawer. The nner faces of the partitions 8 and ofthe iside walls of the drawer are grooved parallel to the bottom, and in these grooves are slidable transverse pins 10. Referring to the detail view of Fig. 3 it will be seen that a rectangular plate of sheet metal, here designated 11 is rolled or beaded around-the pin 10 along one end. Some distance from this end the plate is bent at an angle of about ninety degrees and along a line parallel to the pin 10. The upper corners of the plate are preferably clipped as shown at 12. When the drawer is assembled, the pins 10 are locked in the grooves as above described, the plates 11 then occupying the positions shown in section in Fi 2. A plurality of file cards are then introduced in the position shown at 13 between the lates or ndex leaves as they will be calle .By filin the cards in the position thus shown and iiescribed it will be seen that the top card of each set is exposed and by reference to Fig. 1 it will further be seen that in the open or tilted position of the drawer the cards are brought into an approximately vertical plane for convenience in handling.

If referred the side walls of the drawer may grooved to co-act with a pivot pin 14 in order that the drawer may be opened and tilted without fear of dropping the same. It is also apparent that although I have shown and described the pins 10 as slidable within grooves, they mi ht with equal facility be separately pivote at predetermined distances in drilled openings or joulrl'nals of any kind formed in the side we The above described filing system :11-

though particularly adapted for use in a business desk may be applied to various services since the main and distinguishing feature thereof is the construction and arrangement of the index leaves which permit the exposure of a portion of the front face of the first card in each set, thus eliminating the index cards formed with the frangible'tongues now in common use.

What I claim is:

In 'a device of the class described, the combination with a casing having its rear wall inclined inwardly and downwardly, of a plurality of index-leaves bent at right angles along a line parallel to one end, and 15 means for pivotally and slidably securing saidleaves in said casing.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

ALBERT T. ELWELL.

\Vitnesses SAMUEL B. CARR,- CARL PALMER. 

